Sleeping Powder
by weeziewoo
Summary: Alex calls Ben one night after being caught in the rain, a trip to Ben's flat never does anyone any good. Why is Wolf even here. Tw/ Underage smoking, depression, underage drinking.
1. Melancholy Hill

**Sleeping Powder, An Alex Rider fan fic. Titled after Sleeping Powder by the Gorillaz sung by my daddy 2-D.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Alex Rider obviously. XOXO**

A sigh escaped from his pale lips, in the darkness of the night he was barely able to make out the silhouette of the lighter encased in his clammy hands. His finger nervously tapped ash from the end of a cigarette. The smoke curled into the foggy air. The hoodie didn't do much to stop him shivering, as he hid under a bus shelter. Rain mercilessly assaulted the thin plastic shelter.

Late November was never a good time of year; he'd decided this a long time ago. The buses had long since stopped running, as it was about two am on a Tuesday. He sat there in silence for another ten minutes, the cigarette he'd been smoking was tossed carelessly onto the floor, before being haphazardly stamped out.

He dropped his lighter back into the baggy pocket stitched to his jumper. He produced a phone from the same pocket. He tapped a number familiar to him. One ring later a groggy voice mumbled from the other end.

"You've reached the Daniels residence. Ben speaking. It's two am, but whatever." Ben grumbled.

"Ben?" He asked.

"Alex." Ben replied.

"It's two am. I swear to God if you're drunk _Alexander_." Ben hissed.

"I'm not." Alex assured him, whilst flinching at the use of that name- the last person that called him that- God no.

"Can you come get me?" Alex asked hopefully, tears that escaped from his haunted eyes mixing with the rain.

A sigh- "Fine, where are you?" Alex knew he could count on Ben.

Alex mechanically told him the address.

"See you in ten." Ben assured.

-Click-

-Alex's POV-

I took a sliver of gum from my pocket- strawberry of course. When I was a kid you would have seen me with peppermint gum but I despised the very scent now. It was all to formal and it reminded me of them. How they'd taken everything away from me, damn I wish I had some vodka. There was an off licence about ten meters away.

I bought vodka using one of my many fake ID's as proof I was eighteen. I walked back to the bus stop and opened the bottle, the alcohol burnt its way down my throat, I began chugging it now. All self-restraint had given in. I'd drunk around half of it by the time Ben showed up.

He was pissed; I woke him up at two am, told him I wasn't drinking and now am. I wordlessly slipped into the passenger seat.

-Ben's POV-

"How much have you had to drink, young man?" I tried to sound harsh yet soft. Like wolf with his younger siblings.

"Only the vodka." He said, his voice completely clear.

I sniffed the air, and realised Alex smelt faintly of cigarette smoke.

"If you're smoking cigarettes, God so help me _Cub_ I will phone Snake." I yelled.

I saw him flinch.

 _Shit._

"Al, I'm sorry." I sighed.

"N-no I'm fine." He whispered, I watched as tears sprung to the corners of his eyes.

I stepped on the gas, I reached my apartment in 5 minutes.

Even though Alex didn't live with me I still tended to keep some of his meds around my flat. As he'd often come over, claiming he couldn't stand being alone in the house he lived in. I pushed him through the door ahead of me.

"Anti-depressants?" I asked.

"Please." He plopped onto the couch that had become his second bed over time.

"I forgot to say, Wolf's visiting, he's in the spare room." I rushed before going to the kitchen.

"Ben?" I heard Wolf call from the end of the hall.

 _Speak of the devil._

"Here." I called back.

"What are you doing, it's two am. And who's anti-depressants are those?" Wolf asked pointing to the box.

"Not mine, just go back to bed _James_ " I told Wolf.

"No way, I wanna find out who those belong to." He pointed to the anti-depressants again.

"Fine, they probably won't like you though." I replied whilst grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. I shuffled back into the living room. Wolf following close behind.

"Al, I bought your meds." I sighed while handing him the bottle of water and the box of tablets. I saw Alex glare at Wolf.

"Ben, this kid is like eighteen why'd you know him?" Wolf asked.

-Wolf/James' POV-

"Actually I'm sixteen." The blonde boy on the sofa grumbled, while numbly trying to get the tablets from the foil.

"Why do you know Ben?" I asked.

"Jeez Wolfy, I thought the kid that kicked you out of a plane would be more memorable." The blonde boy said in a voice that I recognised.

"Wait- Ben why the hell is rich boy here?" I hissed.

"My name's Alex, Alex Rider. Hope that clears it up." The boy- Alex said sarcastically.

"What we thought wasn't true. Al wasn't some rich kid- he doesn't even have a family for Christ sakes. His legal guardian is '6." Ben complained.

"sixteen? You went to Brecon two years ago, you were fourteen? And you don't have a family? I'm so sorry for what I said about your parents." I gushed.

"It's fine, they died when I was a baby. If you'd made any jibes about my uncle the man who raised me before he met his untimely demise, I would have cut off your balls and fed them to you." Alex muttered. Before swallowing the pills he'd finally gotten from the packet.

"How'd '6 become your guardian?" I asked.

"They weren't originally after Ian died. A lovely woman called Jack Starbright. But she got killed in Egypt." He frowned at me softly.

"Ian, like Ian Rider, famous agent and John Rider's brother?" I gasped.

"The very pair. Ian was a shitty uncle to be honest. He was never home. And obviously, I don't remember my dad." Alex sighed.

"Jeez Alex, I'm so sorry. I didn't know." I apologised.

"It's fine, nobody did." Alex sighed again…

 **TADA! I don't know if I should keep this as a one shot or not? Review if you'd like me to add more. Have a lovely day!**


	2. Feel Good Inc

**Second chapter of sleeping powder- again this website is called Fan fiction, only in my dreams do I own AR**

-Wolf/James' POV-

I doubted it was Cub, the young man before me can't have been him, Cub hadn't been so skinny, had he? Sure, that'd been two years ago but I doubted he'd changed so drastically. Why would he need those anti-depressants? He'd seemed like such a calm kid.

And Ben- not only did Ben know him for another reason aside from the SAS, he also seemed to have aged ten years with the amount of worry etched into his features.

"Al, do you want me to grab you another jumper? That one's soaked and you're shivering." Ben asked him.

I wonder why he calls him Al and nothing else?

The kid begrudgingly agrees and pulls off his hoodie. He rattles it trying to empty the pocket, things start dropping out; A wallet, a lighter, a mobile, keys. All semi normal things to carry- then, out it comes, a box of straights.

Jesus Christ.

"For fuck sake, _Alexander!_ " Fox yells. Cub doesn't react to the yell until he says Alexander. The kid reacts to that, badly. He grabs his lighter, his keys, his phone, his wallet, his cigarettes. He stands up and runs down the hall, leaving the front door wide open.

"Shit!" Fox hisses running out after him. I run after them too. It's pouring down outside, I always slept in my clothes so I was fully dressed in a jumper. I grabbed my rain coat on the way.

I wasn't worried about Ben, he was fully dressed and in his coat, I was worried about the kid in soaked jeans and a short-sleeved shirt.

"I've lost him." Fox sighed at me.

"Well we can't just leave him out here." I say gruffly.

"Al?" I call into the night. I hear a splash at the end of the street, I take off after the noise.

I only see his silhouette in the street lights briefly. He darts around with such grace. He disappears into a crowd of people, they all smell like weed or cigarette smoke- a perfect cover for a boy like Cub.

-Alex's POV-

I crouched down behind a dumpster that I was only able to hide behind after losing Wolf in the crowd. I began sobbing uncontrollably. Ben knew I hated it when he called me Alexander. It reminded me of all the torturers.

' _What do you know about MI6 Agent Alexander Rider?_ '

Screams, blood, scars.

 _Information._

More information than any sixteen-year-old had the right to know. More information than any should know.

They were all out to get the kid who had more clearance than most adults. I felt sick.

" _Cub?_ " A thick Scottish accent called through the alley I was crouched in.

 _Why the fuck did they get Snake?_

I kept crying and a few moments later the enigmatic man was stood in front of me,

"Cub." He said again.

"Snake. Why are you here?" I mumbled, I was shivering in the cold, I leant into the wall behind me to remain grounded.

"Cub. As your unit's medic, I implore you to come back to Ben's. You'll catch hypothermia out here." Snake said to me softly.

"Come on let's go." He said, calmly gesturing to the mouth of the alley. I tried to stand up straight, but almost fell over. I decided it was probably a good idea to grab his arm to keep myself up.

"Snake m'tired." I mumbled, my words slurred.

"Okay, I retract the 'catch hypothermia' I think my friend you may already have it." He stated as we walked.

Soon enough I was sat on a sofa in a warm room.

"Where am I?" I yawned.

"My apartment, Snake's calling an ambulance you have hypothermia, Al." Ben reminded me…

 **Thanks for all the reviews.**

 **For all y'all who said to add more, your wish is my command.**

 **Mia: sorry wold seemed OOC but I lowkey prefer wolf where he's fluffy and not evil.**

 **Guest (the one about 3** **rd** **person) I'm glad you enjoyed it.**


	3. Busted and Blue

**Chapter three lads, I'm not sure what I'm calling this chapter, but the other two are songs by Gorillaz so check 'em out xoxo.**

I could barely make out a beeping sound beside me, all I can remember is being cold, like really cold. Wait and was Ben there? Yeah, something like that. I have no clue what happened, there's a single letter in my head- it's the letter K.

I opened my eyes. I was affronted by white walls and the smell of disinfectant. There were three people in the room with me; Wolf, Snake and Ben. The events before I passed out came flooding back to me, I wasn't mad at Ben though- he's doing his best. Wolf ran out into the rain to find me, he's changed since Brecon. They phoned Snake, it was the mother hen medic who took me back to Ben's flat, he's the same worry wart as always.

There was a severe lack of energy in the room, and it was at that moment I noticed, the liveliest of all K-unit was missing.

 _"_ _Eagle."_ I croaked, I hadn't meant to say that out loud.

"What?" Ben asked.

"Uhm- nothing, where am I?" I played off my previous word.

"Hospital, you've got mild hypothermia dumbass." Wolf replied, the sarcastic man I knew had come back.

"Don't mind him, he just hasn't had coffee. Isn't that right Mr grumpy face." Ben taunted. Wolf grumbled in response.

"How long-" I started.

"We found you at 3am, it's now 9. It's been 6 hours." Snake interrupted me.

"One of you is missing." I stated.

"Eagle's in Ireland with his girlfriend, he won't be back 'til January." Ben replied.

I nodded, Wolf left the room.

"Off he goes to get coffee. Caffeine is bad for you." Snake grumbles.

Ben laughs and I face-palm. These guys really weren't as bad as I remembered them being.

"Anyway, Cub long time no see." Snake says.

"Likewise. How have you been?" I reply, out of habit more than anything.

"I've been good. I finally got engaged and everything is great. How have you been Cub?" Snake says smiling profusely.

"I've been alright, nothing really worth reporting, just normal stuff." I replied.

"You were bloody shot, I don't think that qualifies as 'nothing'" Ben muttered.

"Did you just say shot? Where?" Snake questions.

"Medic mode engaged." I grumble.

"Two inches above his heart." Ben supplies helpfully.

"WHAT!?" Snake yells.

"I'm _fine._ " I say.

"You have hypothermia and Fox is telling me you got shot. That isn't what I'd call fine Cub." Snake states.

"I never gave you my name did I, God where are my manners. There's no need to be so formal here." I say.

"My name's Alex, please for the sake of my sanity, call me Al." I add swiftly.

"Ah, my name is Connor, no need to know my last name. I assume you know the other two's names?" Snake- Connor replies.

"I don't know Wolf's name." I say and speak of the devil, he appears coffee in hand.

"James. My name is James." He says. So it was the lack of coffee making him grumpy.

"Well we all seem to be acquainted then." Ben says.

"We should probably tell a doctor Alex is awake." Snake says.

 **Well that's chapter three done, I highly recommend you read my other Alex Rider story that takes place two years into the future. It's a crossover with SPN so it's chill if you watch it, but it's not essential if you haven't.**

 **Guest (both of you) : I'm glad you like it so far!**


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